The Game
by Master Fwiffo
Summary: TF Movie Fic Arcee must survive a manhunt by Bonecrusher...


MovieFic

The Game

Copyright 2007, masterfwiffo. All rights reserved.

Darkness slowly envelops me as Cybertron turns away from its sun, signaling the end of another painful, tiresome day. I stare up at the stars, wondering just where, out there, 'it' is.

"Arcee!"

I glance over at the mechanoid scrambling toward me. Of the two of us, Rev is taller, but not by much. And compared to most, we're dwarfs of our race. Rev hops over a fallen support and heads my way. The support once belonged to a massive structure, who knows how high it stood. Now, like the rest of this cursed place, it's a heap of rubble.

Rev comes up to me, his intakes running to cool down his overworked systems. His wiry frame is supporting itself with his arms on his knees, the air-intakes coming in ragged gasps. Finally, he looks up at me, the single visor and semi-circular vent that composes his face agape. I can tell by the look on his face that what he's about to tell me isn't good.

"They're here!" He gasps. "Get down!"

At that moment, a soft hum reaches my audio. I know what that sound means. Quickly, I grab Rev and we throw ourselves under the fallen support. The hum grows louder, until it begins to overload our audios. Rev and I glance at each other, and as one our optics close, both of us praying to the Allspark that we were not seen.

A shadow passes over our support. And then another, and another, and then a hundred more after that. I chance a glimpse out into sky, and see the retreating engine lights of a entire legion of Decepticon Seekers, slowly making a march in the air toward some lights in the distance.

The sleek, winged, conical shapes continue to cast shadows on the ground before us for some time, and then the hums begin to dwindle, then fade away altogether into the distance.

I allow myself to relax. and glance at Rev, who's staring thoughtfully after them. "Headed toward Simfur." He mutters, "At least it's the wrong direction."

"Yeah." I answer, unable to think of anything else to say.

Rev lets out brief wisp of air in a sigh. "How long do you think we can keep this up Arcee? How long before they figure it out?

"I don't know." I answer, after a moment hesitation. "I really don't."

In truth, I don't think we can keep it up much longer at all. The Decepticons don't yet realize that Optimus Prime, our leader and commander, is gone.

-----

I watch our troops fly overhead, noting the figure at the head. Starscream, that arrogant, pompous, imbecile, is leading them on another fools errand to what I know to be an abandoned city. I don't bother to question him though, no real point to it. Slag, there's not been a real point to anything since the Allspark disappeared, and took Megatron with it.

I still remember the Old General's last order to me. "Bonecrusher," He'd said, "Make sure you capture any trying to escape from Tyger Pax. Keep them alive though- they might know where the Allspark is. Beat it out of them, if you can."

"Gladly." I answered.

Of course, slagging lot of good it did. For the most part, I got to sit around watching a hundred seekers blow the living slag out of 6 pathetic Autobots. Then the Old General went in himself for some one-on-one interrogation with the last of the survivors- and, well, I never saw him again.

That slagger Prime launched the damned 'Cube into space. Just couldn't handle the thought of a superior breed getting it, I suppose. Megatron disappeared too. Took us forever to realize he'd gone after it. Didn't bother to tell a spark, just up and left us.

Of course, Starscream took command. And why shouldn't he have? He was the Old General's number-2 guy. But then things started to go to the pit in a transport. Both the Bots and us sent a number of scouts to all the planets in the system, hoping to find some trace of the 'Cube, or at least of Megatron, but we found nothing. They'd entered a wormhole. Both sides know that sooner or later we'll have to start searching for it. But both know that if one leaves, the other gets Cybertron. But, on the other hand, who ever doesn't leave loses the chance to get the 'Cube. So, we're stuck. Starscream figures that if one eradicates the other, then we'll have plenty of time to find the damn thing, so for now, we stay.

But those Autobots don't like to be eradicated so easy. Prime took his men underground, breaking them into small forces and hiding among the wreckage of the cities we've destroyed during this war. It's becoming harder and harder for our forces to track them down, and each time we fail to find them, that much less energy is gone forever, and we're running out of ways to replace it. Sooner or later, we're facing shutdown. Despite all that, Starscream figures the best way to get the Autobots to surrender before that is to nab Prime.

And that's what I'm here for. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm under no delusions that I'll happen to run into him. He's too clever for that. But, I am more likely to find someone who knows. And, with the application of a bit of proper leverage in the most painful manner possible, I'm sure I can get it out of 'em.

A voice beeps in my comm. "You moving out Bonecrusher?"

I grunt something in response. I don't particularly care for Barricade (then again, I don't particularly care for most), so I see no reason to waste vocals on an obvious answer.

"All right then." Barricade answers. "Don't let yourself get lost in the Game."

I ignore that jab, and with another grunt, I transform, re-arranging my body into a thick, heavily treaded vehicle mode with an extra manipulator arm, and roll off down the shattered streets of Iacon, in search of prey.

----

Optimus Prime, of course, elected to leave the planet. It wasn't easy for him, I should know. I was there when he told all of us his plans. He didn't want to take anyone with him, wanted to make the search himself, and leave the rest of us to defend Cybertron. But old Ironhide demanded he take a guard, and then Ratchet claimed he'd need a scientist, and Perceptor said he'd need someone who knew star-maps, and Mirage insisted on being a scout, and so on and so forth. Eventually, Prime settled on four- Ironhide, Ratchet, Jazz for special Ops, and, to everyones shock, young Bumblebee. Bumblebee's selection surprised us the most - especially me. It's well known that Bumblebee and I were good friends, and I always felt sorry for him. I was there when Megatron ripped out his voice-box - I heard the last words he ever spoke. Seeing him there, unable to talk, the sad look on his face... it made my spark dim every time. We were too short of supplies to give him a new one, and nobody was willing to volunteer (though, I'd be lying if I didn't say the thought crossed my mind a couple times), so he remained mute. Despite that, he was the first to go up into space to search the nearby systems. And when he returned with no news, well, that's when Prime started the Ark project, and selected him to go.

And now, their gone. We haven't heard from them in a full stellar cycle, and somehow, we managed to convince the 'Cons that they're still here. It's a miracle we've kept the secret this long. Ultra Magnus is heading our forces now, and it was his idea to split us all into smaller groups. Rev and I are currently under Impactor, though where he is right now, I haven't the foggiest idea. Early this planetary cycle, he sent us back into Iacon to keep an eye on things, from his base at the 'Point. Until today, it's been quiet. But now...

Fortunately, the seekers are heading toward SimFur, and there's nobody there, or at least, not many. They still haven't found our main base of operations at Praxis, so until we start seeing them move that way, we're ok.

I motion to Rev, and we creep out of our hiding spot. "Ok," I say, turning to him, "Which one of us wants to head back to point and let them know?"

Rev scoffs at the notion. "I ain't going nowhere by myself."

"So, me then."

"No, I said I ain't going nowhere by myself. That includes right here. We're going."

"All right then." I sigh. I hate it when he gives me a hard time, which he does often. But, then again, I'd rather be with him then with some of the tight-screws like Hot Spot.

We both convert down to vehicle mode - myself, a small, slim two-wheeler, and Rev a thicker on balancing on three. And both of us head out onto the elevated roads that transverse an towering ghost city.

-----

I move along rather slowly, my treads working to pull me over the debris. Painfully slowly, actually. But, my prey rarely realizes my true speed, so I force myself to keep at the slower pace. That way, when I spot 'em, they'll get overconfident and I can catch up to 'em real fast. See, I'm not as dumb as I look.

I come across a particularly big obstacle in the broken road. My manipulator arm reaches out, the drill-like tip separating into 4 distinct claws, which grab and throw the object out of the way. As it sails past, I notice what appears to be an arm. I can't help but wonder whether the poor slag had been an Autobot or a Decepticon. And then I can't bring myself to give a slag about the answer.

I trundle along for a little while longer, then my audios pick something up at a distance. I roll to a stop, and listen. Yes, it sounds like engines. Two of em, echoing through the empty canyons that stretch out toward the bottom of the city underneath the roadways. To the... southeast, I'd say. Maybe three clicks. A smile creeps on to my face. Screw Barricade. The Game begins now. And I have every intention of winning. I quickly calculate an intercept course (I really am not as dumb as I look), and head off toward them as fast as these pitiful treads can carry me.

----

Rev and I race along the battered streets of what had once been Iacon. One of the first to fall in Megatrons war against us, Iacon, at one time, had housed the life-giving Allspark. It moved several times since, and now, of course was gone for good. As was Megatron. But his legacy remained, and we still lived in fear of it.

But that Legacy is far from our minds as we shoot through the streets. All we can think of is the relative safety of the Point, and all of our comrades waiting for us.

The city is terrifying at night. It's not so pleasant in the day either, but at night, it seems especially creepy. I always wonder if somewhere, in the vast canyons between the buildings the elevated roads of which we traverse, the sparks of already dead Autobots lie, waiting to be avenged, or to take vengeance on us...

Of course, I know it's fantasy. Once a spark is gone, it remains gone. I should know, I'm no stranger to death. I saw four of my friends die in front of me the day Bumblebee lost his voice. I watched the cons rip the spark right out of poor Lock. It's those images that never leave you. It's also those that make you wonder if those stories are true...

A sound reaches my optics for the briefest of moments, and then is gone. I shoot a message at Rev. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Never mind." I mutter. Must have been a figment of my imagination. Maybe the war is affecting me more then I realize. But then, I hear it again.

But before I have a chance to ask again, the street explodes in front of me, raining gravel and debris over our bodies. Rev and I almost collide as we skid to a stop, braking and skidding to one side. I stare at Rev for a brief moment, and he stares back. Both of us sit, wondering just what the Pit happened.

And then something erupts from the rubble, a heavy tank bearing down on us at great speed. Rev yells at me to run, like I really needed him to, and we both turn and hit our accelerators, speeding off. I can hear the roar of the tank behind me, getting ever louder as we shoot back the way we came. A brief memory pops back into my mind, and I get an idea.

"TURN!" I yell at Rev as we come to an ancient intersection. He follows obediently, and we make a right down another straight. My memory proves correct, as we're now weaving through huge piles of rubble and holes torn in the elevated causeway.

"Brilliant." Rev yells sarcastically. "Now, if he doesn't kill us, we can die by crashing!"

"Shut up!" I yell back, narrowly missing a huge hole. "He won't follow us here."

"Who was it?" Rev demands.

"Like I know the name of every 'Con." I spit back, continuing to weave. "Just keep going, he won't-"

I'm cut off by another explosion in front of me, as a heavy piece of rubble sails through the air and impacts the ground. I cast a quick glance behind me and to my horror, see the tank following, an arm on the top of its boxy form hurling blocking debris in random directions - and then some at us.

I give another yell as what had once been the cornerstone of a building hits right in front of. Rev swerves to the left, and I mirror him to the right.

"Persistent." Rev gasps.

"Keep going!" I answer. "I was here when this street was bombed. The damage goes for clicks. He'll never keep up."

-----

These two are proving to be a nuisance. My already sub-par speed is being slowed by the debris, no matter how fast my manipulator arm can throw it. I note that the two 'Bots are growing smaller as they pull farther away. Much longer, and they'll have ditched me entirely. Oh well, I usually don't like to ruin the surprise this early, but what has to be done...

I transform back into robot mode, and without missing a beat, my new feet landing on the ground where my treads were a split-second beforehand. And immediately, the wheels on my feet take over.

I had my body redesigned specifically for this, so I'm already in my gear. As far as I know, I'm the only one on Cybertron who came up with this idea. And if anybody else did, I killed 'em. The wheels on my feet start spinning at full speed, and my legs begin pumping with them, propelling me along the ground at far faster speeds then my good-for-nothing treads ever allowed. With this speed comes increased maneuverability, and leaning to the right and left lets me avoid the obstacles with minimum speed reduction. I can see my prey ahead of me, and they don't even realize that I'm beginning to catch up. This is where the Game gets fun.

----

"I think we're pulling away!" Rev calls. I don't pay attention, I'm more concerned with getting out of there. I'm in no mood to have myself be at the mercy of a Decepticon. Again.

We race on through the streets, under fallen supports and past the rubble fields, when I hear something unusual for the second time this day. And once again, it's getting closer.

I take a glance behind me, and suddenly I'm looking into the Pit itself. Fiery red eyes shine from a squat, round face set in a permanent grimace. The Decepticon is moving fast- much faster then his bulk should allow, and I can't figure out how! Fear grips me, and I yell a warning to Rev. He sees him at the same time I do and yelps, and both of us increase to our full speeds.

But we can't maintain that speed- cracks and ditches and rubble piles force us to slow down as we skid around the debris, trying desperately to put some distance between us and our pursuer.

"Go left!" Rev calls, and we skid into another intersection, this one more rubble strewn then the last. Rev and I realize our mistake too late as we are forced to slow down again A moment later, the Decepticon is behind us, gliding like a ghost past the rubble and closing the gap fast.

"There!" Rev calls, "Go!"

I follow him, and a moment later I see his target. Two collapsed buildings have left a narrow slit through which we can go. I let Rev pull in front, and we scrape through. No way the Con can follow us through that. No way. Right?

----

This is so easy it's almost no fun. I'm making smooth, easy weaves through the path as I bear down on them. They can't escape me now. Then I see both of em slide together, and squeeze neatly through a thin gap between two rubble piles. It take me half a click to decide that I can't fit through there, and another half a click to decide on a much better course of action. I allow myself a brief chuckle as I imagine the looks on their faces as I head over to the right, where a semi-flat girdle lying among the rubble will make a serviceable ramp. With all the skill I've acquired in my Cycles of doing this, I deftly leap into the air and onto ramp, increasing my motor speed, and then I'm hurtling into the air over the debris.

I feel he wind resistance and the force of gravity all tugging on me, and for a brief moment, I feel pure ecstasy, the thrill of the chase and the power that comes with the defying of the elements. My optics dim with happiness for the briefest of moments, letting the feeling rush over my entire being...

Then with a sudden jar, I'm brought back to reality and instantly on the hunt again, the distance between my prey and I halved. My optics zoom in on the two, who fly into a panic. They obviously didn't expect that.

They won't expect this either. Another enhancement I made to myself, my arms unlock from their short, stubby position, and then lengthen, unfolding out to nearly triple their length. Before either of them has a chance to react, I take a quick swipe at the closer of the two, ripping a gash in his rear but failing to catch them. The little twerp lets out a yell, and increases speed, swerving wildly a large, jagged piece of debris. My manipulator arm reaches out and snares it, hurtling at the two, who begin to swerve wildly to avoid it. I'm already on the path around it, swinging both my arms at the two. I grab another passing rock with my manipulator and throw it again. I know they can't keep this up for much longer. As far as I'm concerned, this chase is already over. Now, it's just a brief matter of time.

-----

As the beasts arm tears a gash in Revs rear end, something suddenly snaps in my mind, and I'm in full panic. Logic and reason circuits shut down, and I'm driving on pure survival instinct. My gear starts cranking as I increase speed. I almost distantly hear Rev cry out in protest, but I have to get away. I won't let them get me, not again. I won't let what happened to Bumblebee happen to me. I can't! I won't!

A crazy, desperate plan hits me. I yell incoherently at Rev, and hope he gets the message to follow me. Then I make a sharp turn, where no intersection exists. At full speed, the wall isn't enough to stop me- and I go straight through it, plunging into the darkness below. A moment later, I hear Rev yell as he does the same thing.

Both of us fall, and then the ground rushes up to meet us. I hit the ground and bounce, feeling something inside me break as I flip back into robot mode. Rev, obviously the smarter of the two of us, transforms beforehand and lands easily. I look up at the roadway below, and then watch in horror as it breaks open, the Con diving straight down through it. A load of debris follows the con, cratering the ground around us, and then there is the Decepticon, landing practically on top of us. I don't even have a chance to grab my weapon before one of the arms shoots out and the hand grabs my leg. Then I'm hurling through the air again, with a wall coming ever straight toward me and then...

Everything goes black.

---

One down. I doubt the slagger will be getting up again. I turn on the other one, who's circling me warily. Looks like he wants to play. This might be fun after all.

I look down at the pitiful yellow Autobot and do a quick-size up. He is one half my size, if that. He has one little blaster in his hands, and other then that, is pretty much unarmed. I, however, have the size and strength of three Decepticons, and claws that can tear this little punk in two. So, how about we start this thing?

I let out a battle cry, which is really little more then a very passionate roar, then lower my head and charge forward, intending to bowl the guy over. He leaps deftly to the side- Ok, so he's got the up on me on agility. Good for him, lets see how much it helps. I spin on my wheels, turning back to charge again.

To my surprise, the guy jumps down into vehicle mode, and turns to face me. What, he wants to charge me and see who wimps out first? I haven't ever wimped out to nobody- I'll take the hit before that. Not that him hitting me would do anything.

So I charge, and he charges right back. The gap is closed in an instant. Then, to my surprise, he swerves at the very last minute, so his back end goes into my wheels. I'm actually caught unawares, for once, and I stumble forward. My own wheels prove my downfall as I hit the ground, scraping up the steel on the way down.

It doesn't actually hurt, but damn if it didn't slag me off. That slaggers paying for this. I push myself up and whirl- and immediately catch three laser blasts in the shoulder. I stumble backwards in surprise- THAT one hurt.

And that, as they say, is It. I put my arms under me, and shove upwards with all my strength, the push throwing me up into the air. The Autobot doesn't have a chance to yell as my third arm shoots over my head and skewers him straight through. I can hear the rending of metal and the music of a pained scream fill my audios. But I ain't done yet. I hurl him off my arm at full force and he smashes into a large pile of debris, and breaks in two. His cry is replaced by a gurgling shriek, and a brief flash blinds me. I roll myself over to inspect him. Grab him, pick him up, shake him. Yep. He's quiet dead.

Only now do I remember that I was supposed to interrogate him. Oh well. I drop the body carelessly, and glance at the other who is stirring. That one will do just as well. I calmly begin my glide over to the form, and prepare for the dirty work.

----

For the second time in my life, I awake to the dying scream of a friend. My optics clear up just in time to see Rev split in two. I know immediately that he's gone. Forever.

I can't allow myself any time for mourning. I have to get out of here- the Decepticon is still inspecting Revs body. I attempt to push myself to my feet, and only then realize that my right arm is not functioning. Oh... Slag...

Suddenly, I hear the Con coming toward me. I see now the wheels on his feet- numbly, I realize how he caught up to me. Had I known, I could have found a way to stop him, to trip him up to-

It's too late. A third arm comes from over his head, massive razor-sharp claws wrap entirely around my much smaller body, and I'm lifted off the ground. I'm hanging in the air, looking into that permanent grimace, it's red eyes burning into my very spark. And then, he rumbles at me.

"Where is Prime?"

No... Please, don't ask that. I know. Fear form a knot in my systems as I realize what's about to happen. How can I keep from telling the answer if he rips me apart?

----

I ask the Autobot in the simplest manner possible. Blunt and to the point. While I wait, I look her over. A slight build and a thin shape, in addition to her very small size- for you fleshy types, I'll designate her as 'she', though that really doesn't have all that much of a meaning among us. I note that one arm's hanging by some wires - my throw did a little more damage then I thought. Small face, with a lopsided armor plating on her head, and two optics that are closed tight. I think she might know what's coming if she doesn't cooperate, so I'll ask again. "Where is Prime?" I don't get a response. I smile inwardly. Yep, she knows. The Game will be over soon. All right, time for interrogation tactics.

Now, I'll admit that interrogation ain't my thing. You see, I'm here to grab someone, rough em up, and drag their comatose body back to somebody who can handle 'em. And if that doesn't work, I simply rip their spark out. But the Game doesn't work that way, in this case. I have to do this on my own. Fortunately, I've learned a few things about interrogation throughout my years, so I'll slip into the mode that'll make some of the harder Decepticons wince.

"You know." I state flatly. I know that the gruffer and simpler I sound, the more violent and vicious (both of which I have plenty of anyway), the more frightening I am. And fright can often produce better results then just pain. But pain certainly helps.

"I'll ask again." I say, as calm as possible, "Then I start pulling wires. Where is Prime?"

She steadfastly refuses to answer me. So without another word, I bring one lone claw into her torn arm, and pull.

----

My optics squeeze tight. Bumblebee endured. I can endure. The first sends a brief burst of pain into my systems, but it ends quickly. I've felt worse.

A quick look of dissatisfaction crosses his face, and with another movement, his claw goes in again and pulls real hard. It's all I can do to keep from screaming as pain overloads my nerve circuitry.

The monster looks at me coldly. I won't look back. Deep inside me, I know the end is near. The fear begins to grow, filling my entire body to every extremity. I cannot help it, I begin to shake uncontrollably. I don't want to die. I don't want my spark ripped out, joining the ghosts of all those already.

I risk a glance at Revs body, lying on the floor behind him. His face stares up at me, spark-less, empty. I don't want that to happen to me. I don't want that!

I'm scared. Help me. Someone... please.

---

She looks like she's about to break. Ok then. Lets get this over with. My claws on the third arm encircle her entire body, forming a multi-directional vice.

"ONE LAST CHANCE." I yell, raising my vocals to their loudest possible limits. That should scare some sense into her.

No answer.

So without a second thought, I squeeze. The claws exert pressure in from all directions while simultaneously digging into the body. She finally starts making sounds, cries of pain, music to my ears. I can feel her body begin to buckle and crack under the pressure, and I continue the pressure, fully intent now on crushing her under my claw, the Game be damned! This one is being added to my spark count!

----

Endless force closing in around me. My internal body heat begins to rise, my cooling systems malfunctions my interior supports buckle under the weight. One of my pressure valves bursts, sending steam out into the air. Pain, endless pain. That's all I can feel.

All I can see is the endless hatred in his eyes. He wants to kill me.

I'm going to die.

I can't even visualize anymore the peace I once lived in. I can't see anything of the life I once lived. All that was once good and pure... and happy... has fled in the face of this endless torment.

I don't want to die like this. I don't want to die! Please, Primus, the Allspark, anyone, I DON'T WANT TO DIE!

I could end it all. Just say a couple words, then he'd grant me a mercy killing. End the suffering.

I see Bumblebee in Megatrons grasp. I see Megatron rip his arm straight off. And yet he wouldn't talk. He continued to fight, even though he knew he would lose. I can fight this. I can fight this.

I'm terrified. But I will fight-

My back gives way with a sickening crack. A fresh wave of pain surges through my systems with such force that I can only scream. My shoulders are buckling now to, everything inside me is shutting down. ANother crack signals the end of my hips, my chest is buckling. I can feel my spark chamber begin to give way...

Then through the pain I hear his words again. "Last time. Prime."

I start to speak, my voice barely registering through my voice-box. But then I stop.

Bumblebee risked it all for his secret. He would have died gladly to keep it. My friends all of them. if I talked now, their deaths would be meaningless. My death would be meaningless.

And that would be worse then the end itself.

I can almost smile now, as I force out what I know will be my last words. "You'll... never... find... him."

I hear a roar of rage, and then the ground is rushing straight up at me.

Then once again, everything is black. Merciful, painless black. I embrace the end.

----

I stir. I can feel myself move, and then the pain returns. It's everywhere, endless. I must be in the Pit. That's all it can be.

Then one optic lets light in. To my surprise I'm alive. The sun is rising over Cybertron, light filling the canyon where I lay.

I risk moving my head. The pain makes it all but impossible. But I can see.

The Decepticon is gone.

Why? What happened? Did an Autobot attack? If so, why am I still here?

I attempt to look toward where Rev lays. He's still there. Still lifeless. Still staring at me, even in death. I wince and look away.

The pain has become an endless throb, ever present. I cannot do anything, I can only lie there and suffer.

I know Transformers can live a long time, even in a state like this. I don't want that to happen to me. Please... either let me die... or let me be saved.

Ages seem to pass. An eternity of endless suffering. Unable to move, unable to cry for help. The Decepticon planned this. He wanted me to suffer.

I want to die.

No. No, I don't. I want to live, to live to see the end of this war. I want to see Bumblebee come back home, I want to see my friends all survive, and let things return to peace. To be happy again. To do anything again.

I want to live. I want to be found, to be rescued.

But with each passing click, my hope fades. Ever so slowly, I realize that despite everything, I am still going to die here. Only now, the fate is worse. Alone. In pain. Suffering. My optics close, and all I can see is darkness, all I can feel is pain.

Time passes. How long? Who can tell.

I'm more dead then alive now. My spark is fading fast. The suffering will end soon. One way or another. But then I feel another body touching mine. My audios, almost dead from disuse, spring back to life. My optics return, fuzzy, hazy. And before me, the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life. An Autobot sigil, emblazoned on a gentle face.

I can only dimly discern that it's Hot Spot, and though fuzzy, my audios begin to pick up "First Aid! Get over here!"

Arms wrap around me and gently lift me up. A sudden jolt, and all the pain dims as I feel healing energies and life support forced into my system. I still cannot move, but I can see... First Aid... Hot Spot... and there, over Rev, Groove and Blades picking up his remains.

I hear Hot Spots voice, ever so gently. "Hang in there Arcee. You'll make it."

I manage to force a word out. "Yes."

Hot Spot's smiling gently at me.

Then suddenly another form is beside me. I look up at Impactor, standing over me. He leans down and touches me gently. "I have to know." He says softly. "Did you tell them anything? Do they know that Prime is gone?"

"No." I croak. "I-"

He quiets me gently. "It's ok. That's all. Hot Spot, get her out of here. Lets go home."

Hot Spots arms encircle me, gentle arms, holding me like the most valued possession on Cybertron. As I'm carried off, I realize that somehow, I survived. And not only did I survive, I kept my own secret.

I hope that someday, I can tell Bumblebee. Perhaps someday, he'll be able to talk back to me, and tell me if he was as scared as I.

I survived.

----

The one called Streetwise stares up at the one called Impactor. "Thank the Allspark that they don't know."

Impactor nods. "Yes. If the 'Cons ever find out Prime has left, well, I don't know what will happen."

The two Transform and roll away, leaving the debris field behind. Then one piece of debris comes to life. Arms pull themselves out, and then it pushes itself into a thin and wiry form that promptly makes it's return to the nearby outpost overlooking the area, where I and Barricade are standing in the shadows.

Frenzy doesn't even bother to speak, just replays that dialogue I just listed for you.

"You lose the Game." Barricade says, a cocky grin on his face. "I win. I found out where Prime was before you did."

I start to object, trying to tell him that I did all the work, but I know he'd just counter about how he stopped me from killing her, and set up this little bit of espionage. Frankly, I think it was just a bunch of dumb luck.

So instead, I grunt. "I'll win next time." I promise.

"Sure you will." Barricade replies. I don't bother to answer. This puts him up only one in our little game, so I feel confident that next time I'll win. Provided, of course, I don't kill Barricade first. Which is possible.

Barricade looks just a tad bit disappointed that I don't respond to that, but who cares what he thinks? We both transform, and roll off. Hopefully we can tell Starscream before he wastes an empty Simfur. Again.

But, such is the life we choose to lead. And frankly, I love every slagging minute of it.

-----


End file.
